Recording track scale



Oct. 18, 1938. s, wlLLlAMS 2,133,760

RECORDING TRACK S GALE Filed Sept. 17, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l Zak/ 190065 M/fidms Fjg 7 INVENTOR QM! MW ATTORNEYS Oct. 18, 1938. 5 w|LL|AM$2,133,760

RECORDING TRACK SCALE Filed Sept. 17, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 r I I I I II I a 1 v 1/ Q L I 72 I 0 Q 1 72 Lawrence 5 W////&7/27s INVENTORATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1938.

L. s. WILLIAMS 2,133,760 RECORDING TRACK SCALE med Spt. 17, 1934 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Lawrence 6. WWW/002s INVENTOR 4/ 1'1 *..MMQ

A ORNEY Oct. 18, 1938 L. s. WILLIAMS 2,133,760 RECORDING TRACK SCALEFiled Sept. 17, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f y- Ja A7 I L ff 1; 55

. L W/"6/7Ce Ski Mama E lNVENTOR Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE RECORDING TRACK SCALE Application September 1'7, 1934,Serial No. 744,316

2 Claims.

Electrical switches for operating weight-recording devices in trackscales have heretofore been actuated by movable members that were givena very substantial movement by the passage over them of the car wheel.The substantial movement caused by the heavy impact of the car wheeljarred the switch severely and made its action erratic and its lifeshort in spite of the strong, heavy type of construction that wasadopted.

The principal object of this invention is to provide car-actuated meansfor operating a recorder, said car-actuated means adapted to be actuatedby either or both of the wheels on a single axle even though the treador distance between the wheels be exceptionally great and even thoughone of the wheels be broken or entirely missing.

Another object is the provision of such caractuated means which will notcause the recorder to repeat its operation until actuated by another careven though the position of the several wheels of the car he abnormal.

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the description,in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustratingpreferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure I of the drawings is a perspective view of a track scaleembodying the invention, the loadcounterbalancing and recordingmechanism being shown on an enlarged scale and parts being broken awayto show the connections whereby recording means is positioned byyielding of the track under load.

Figure II is a fragmentary diagrammatic-view, with parts in section,showing electrical means for energizing printing mechanism embodied inmy invention.

Figure III is a diagram of a car-actuated system embodying theinvention.

Figure IV is an enlarged elevational view of a preferred form of trackswitch embodying the invention, with the cover partly broken away.

Figure V is a sectional view on line V--V of Figure IV.

Figure VI is a further enlarged vertical sectional view on thelongitudinal center line of the inner casing containing the switchcontacts.

Figure VII is a diagram of a second form of caractuated system embodyingthe invention.

Figure VIII is a diagram of a third form of caractuated system embodyingthe invention.

Figure IX is a perspective view of a weighing track and supports,showing track switches of a .modified form, with a diagram of theelectrical connections.

Figure X is an enlarged elevational view of one of the switches shown inFigure IX.

. Figure XI is a sectional view on line XIXI of Figure X.

Figure XII is a sectional view on line XII-X[I of Figure VI.

But these specific drawings and the specific descriptions hereinafterset forth are to disclose and illustrate the invention, and are not toimpose limitations upon the claims.

One use for the invention is in connection with a track scale such asthat shown in Figure I, mounted in a concrete foundation l0. Rising fromthe foundation H] are four fulcrum stands ll, upon which four pairs ofknife-edge pivots [2 support two long levers I3, and two short leversl4. Upon each of the four levers is a pair of load pivots I5, whichsupports an end of one of two transverse channels I6 that carry twolongitudinal I-beams H. The I-beams carry rail chairs 18 (see Figure IX)that support longitudinal channels [9 upon which the two rails formingthe weighing track 20 rest. A wooden floor 2| supported on transversefloor beams 22 covers the lever pit, and four angles 23 on the edges ofthe floor on either side of the rails extend upward to overlap with theflanges of the longitudinal channels for keeping Water and dirt out ofthe lever pit.

Each of the short levers I4 is hung in a stirrup 24 located at such apoint on the corresponding long. lever l3 that the load on each of thefour levers acts with an equal lever arm upon a tension rod 25 (seeFigure I) which supports the noses of the long levers by stirrups 26.Acting through a shelf lever 21 hung in a fulcrum stirrup 28, thetension rod 25 transmits the pull to a second rod 29, which is hung froma lever 30 that is counterweighted by a loading box 3| hung from the endadjacent the fulcrum bracket 32 of the lever. The fulcrum bracket issecured to a shelf 33 in a cabinet 34, along with a trig bracket 35 tolimit the motion of the counterweighted lever, and a hanger 36 for thefulcrum stirrup 28.

From th counterweighted lever 30 a third rod 31 transmits the loadthrough a dial lever 38, fulcrumed in adial housing 39, to a cross-head40 suspended from two mobile ribbons 4| attached to the tops of twoeccentric power sectors 42. As the load draws down the mobile ribbons itrotates the two eccentric power sectors on two shafts connected by acompensating bar 43, and causes two concentric fulcrum sectors 44clamped to the eccentric power sectors to roll upward upon two immobileribbons fastened to the fulcrum sectors and hung from the upper end ofand overlying the vertical outer faces 45 of a rigid frame 46. Twocounterweighted pendulums 4'! also swing outward as the mobile ribbonsare drawn downward until the load is offset and a type-carrying disk 48operated by a rack 49 connected to the compensating bar 43 is turnedinto position to record the correct weight. Thus the yielding movement,under load, of the track section 20 and supporting levers l3 and I4 istransmitted to the load-counterbalancing pendulums 1 and positions thetype-carrying disk 48.

After the weighing mechanism has moved into a position to counterbalancethe weight of a car on the weighing track. the energization of aprinting device 56 causes the weight to be printed on a record tape. Theprinting device 50 is of the con= struction described and illustrated inmy U. S. Patent No. 2,020,982 and will not be described in detail inthis specification. This form of printing device is energized byconnecting it across a supply line 59, shown in Figures II, III andVII-IX. It is so constructed that it prints when the circuit from theline through printer leads 52 is closed, and does not again print untilthe circuit is again closed. Thus resetting of the printing device byopening the circuit is necessary before it can be operated again byclosing the circuit. To close the normally open printer circuit, a relay53 in a relay casing 54 on the side of the cabinet may be providedvEnergization of the relay 53, in addition to closing the printercircuit, also closes a circuit from the line through leads 55 and 56 tothe relay coil, so that the relay coil, once energized, maintains itsown circuit closed. Then the system cannot be again operated until ithas been reset by opening the circuit through leads 55 and 56 to therelay coil.

There hasbeen described above one form of means that having once beenoperated requires resetting before it can again be operated; but theinvention is equally applicable to' other forms of such means insignaling, counting and other systems as well as in weighing systems. Tooperate the form of means illustrated, a wheelactuated means isprovided, such as a normally open track switch 51 that is shunted aroundthe normally open relay contacts that connect the relay coil with itslead 56. As a car 58 moves along the track toward the right (preferablyslowly enough so. that the front wheel does not reach the track switch51 for 1 seconds after the rear wheel comes upon the weighing track 20),the track switch 51 is closed by the wheel and the relay is initiallyenergized. Then the means operated by the closing of the track switch isnot again operated by subsequent closing of the track switch by the rearwheels because it requires resetting by opening the relay coil circuitthrough leads 55 and 56 before it can again be operated.

The resetting means may be a wheel-actuated means adjacent the track,such as a normally closed track switch 59 (see Figures III, VII and IX),spaced more than a maximum car-wheelbase from the first track switch, 1.e. more thanthe maximum rearmost-to-foremost-axle distance for any ofthe cars run on the track, so that all the wheels of each car must passone switch before they reach the other switch, to prevent a secondprinting. In order that the means operated by the closing of thenormally open switch may be reset by opening of the relay coil circuitand thus put into its starting condition, ready to be operated again,the normally closed switch is merely included in the circuit throughleads 55 and 56 to the relay coil. So long as the two switches arev thenecessary distance apart, the normally closed. switch may be eitherahead or back of the normally open switch on the track.

However, the former is preferably back of the latter, so that each carfirst operates and then resets; Otherwise, the succeeding car, perhapsarriving the following day, would only then reset by opening thenormally closed switch before it' operates by closing the normally openswitch; and

until the arrival of the succeeding car, the relay coil would beconsuming current.

There may be also provided a delayed-acting means which operates, notwhen actuated, but some time after it is actuated, includng awheelactuated device adjacent the track, ahead of the first normallyopen track switch 51, such as a second normally open track switch60,shown in Figure VII. As a part of the delayed-acting means a relay 6|may also be provided, with one lead 62 from its coil connected to oneside of the line, and another lead 63 connected through the secondnormally open track switch to the other side of the line. This relaywhen energized closes its normally open contacts, which are showninserted in the circuit from the line to one side of the normally closedtrack switch 59. From the relay coil lead 56 that is connected to theother side of the normally closed track switch, a connection 65 goes toa lead 63 of the coil of the second relay 6|, so that after beinginitially energized by the closing of the second normally open trackswitch, the second relay maintains closed a circuit to its own coil solong as the normally closed track switch 59 remains closed.

In addition to the second normally open track switch with its leads, thesecond relay 6! with its leads 62 and 63, and the connection 64, adelayedacting connection 65 is also added to the system of Figure III,to complete the system of Figure VII, by inserting, it as a shunt aroundthe normally open contacts of the first relay 53 that connect the coilof the first relay with its lead 56. The delayed acting connectionincludes a highresistance heating coil that is adjusted to close a shortcircuit across itself a predetermined time after the current is turnedon, by heating a bimetallic strip carying one of the short-circuitingcontacts until the strip bends far enough to bring its contact againstthe other contact. Thus when the second relay 6| is energized and closesthe circuit through the normally closed track switch,

heating coil, and first relay coil, enough currentflows to generate heatin the heating coil, but not enough to energize the first relay. Then ifthe first track switch 51 is not closed before the predetermined timeelapses, the short circuit through the delayed-action connection ismade, the first relay is energized, and the operation proceeds just asthough the first track switch had been closed. Meanwhile the heatingcoil is short-circuited by the closed contacts .of the first relay sothat the delayed-acting connection returns to its original'condition.

Whether a normally open track switch or some other form ofwheel-actuated device adjacent the track is used as part of thedelay-acting means, it should be spaced more than a maximum car-Wheelbase from whatever wheel-actuated resetting means is used. Thus ifthe normally closed track switch 59 in the embodiment illustrated inFigure VII is located ahead of the first normally open switch 57, itmust be far enough ahead so that it is more than a maximum car-wheelbasefrom the second normally open switch 65, because resetting by a rearwheel must not be possible after a front wheel has onceactuated thesecond normally open switch. It is immaterial how far the secondnormally open switch is ahead of the first normally open switch, so longas'it is more than a maximum car-wheelbase back of the.

front end of the weighing track.

Instead of the normallyclosed switch, other forms of resetting meansmaybe employed, such as that used in the system of Figure VIII, whichdiffers from the system of Figure IIIin two respects. First, thenormally closed switch is omitted and the lead 56 from the normally openrelay contacts is connected directly to the line. Second, to replace thenormally closed switch, a different form of resetting means is providedby introducing a resetting relay 66, having normally closed contactsinserted between the normally open contacts of the first relay and thecoil thereof, in the circuit from the relay lead 56 to the coil. Fromthe coil of the resetting relay a wire 61 leads to the connectionbetween the normally open contacts of the first relay and the normallyclosed contacts of the resetting relay through a delayed-actingconnection 68, while another lead 69 goes to the line.

A predetermined time after the first relay is energized, the resettingrelay becomes energized through the delayed-acting connection, so thatthe normally closed contacts are opened, the first relay isde-energized, and the resetting relay is de-energized, as the systemreturns to its original condition. Of course any other automatic meansfor resetting a predetermined time after each operation, if substitutedfor the form of resetting means illustrated in Figure VIII, wouldoperate in the same way. The extra relay and the delayed-actingconnection used in the system of Figure VIII or in the system of FigureVII may be housed in the relay casing 54.

The systems shown in Figures III and VII may be used when a whole trainof cars is to be moved slowly over the weighing track. As each carpasses the weighing track, its weight is printed. If the length of theweighing track is no longer than the bumper-to-bumper car length, nowheels of any car can be upon the weighing track while all the wheels ofanother car are on the track. The system shown in Figure VII is alsosuitable for conditions where some of the cars may be moved onto theweighing track with the front wheels just past the second normally openswitch 60, and then stopped until the delayed-acting means causes theweight to be printed under static conditions that are conducive of greataccuracy. If every car is to be thus moved onto and not across thetrack, the first track switch 51 with its two lead wires may be omitted,and the weighing track, carrying only one normally open switch, may bemade scarcely longer than the maximum carwheelbase. The system of FigureVIII, requiring only one track switch, is suitable for cases in whichcars are to be allowed to coast one at a time over the weighing track.If it is desired to increase the car speed in this case, the weighingtrack may be made longer than the bumper-tobumper car length, the timethat elapses before the automatic resetting being long enough to allowthe rear wheels to pass the track switch.

The preferred form of track switch, shown in Figures IV and V, has amember arranged to be actuated by an arriving car, such as a rod 10protruding from the top of the rail, slidable in bores in the rail headand rail base, and surrounded by a spring 1| bearing against abutmentpieces 12. In the upper abutment piece is a small cross bore 13 thatregisters with a similar bore through the rod 10, to receive a pin forsecuring the upper abutment piece to the rod. A second member, foroperating the switch proper, may take the form of a button 14 having astem extending down into a casing 15-. The casing may be secured to therail and may have a cover 16 with a'watertight gasket. For actuation ofthe button by the rod, or by the abutment piece that moves with the rod,motion reducing means is provided, such as a lever 11 fulcrumed in a lug18 on the top of the casing 15, and fitting in a groove on top of thebutton 14. The button may be peened over on top of the lever so that itis lifted as well as depressed by the lever.

The rod and abutment piece, the lever, and the button may all be termedcar-actuated members, because each is actuated by the arrival of a car.Although they are moved by pressure of the wheel when arranged as shown,they may be arranged for actuation by the impact of any other part ofthe car. The switch means proper may be made up of a yieldableconnection such as a resilient member 19, and contact means preferablyhoused in inner casing of insulating material. The inner casing may havescrews 8| securing it to the outer casing, and binding posts 82 fromwhich wires lead out of the casing and into protective tubing 83. Theresilient member may have one end that is fastened to the top of theouter casing and another end that is free and normally barely touches afiat shim 84, also secured to the top of the outer casing to protect thecontact-actuating member below from abrasion by rocking of the resilientmember when the latter is flexed.

Forming a part of the contact means, the contact-actuating member may bea pin 85 of insulating material. To prevent further movement of the pinby the resilient member 19 after the pin has been moved far enough sothat the contact means has been operated, there is provided a stop suchas a boss 86 on the top of the inner casing 80 (see Figure VI). The pin85 projects above the boss just enough so that it is flush with the bosswhen it has been pushed down far enough for positive operation of thecontact means; but the resilient member 19 can yield on further movementof the button 14. The top 81 of the inner casing is removable and isheld in place by a horizontal screw 88 that passes from the front wallto the rear wall of the casing and extends through a bore in atransverse ridge 89 on the lower side of the casing top 81.

Inside the inner casing one contact may be mounted on a plate that issecured to the top of a seat 90 and has a connection (not shown) withone of the binding posts 82. On another seat 9! at the other end of thecasing may be secured a bar 92 that has extending inward two flat prongs93 with a wide notch left between them. Each of the prongs has a sharpV-groove across its end, in which may rest the end of one of two springplates 94. The other ends of the two spring plates 94 are integral witha strip supporting the movable contact. Also joined to this strip may bea resilient leaf 95 that extends between the two spring plates 94 andthrough the wide notch between the flat prongs 93. It is secured at itsother end and is short enough so that the spring plates are compressedand thus resiliently bowed. When the resilient leaf 95 is in line withthe bottoms of the V-grooves the system is at dead center, but when theleaf is slightly higher, as in Figure VI, the spring plates tend toraise the movable contact so that they may straighten out.

To prevent more than a short upward movement of the movable contact, aninsulating stop 96 is preferably secured on a fiber block 91 so that itextends above the contact. If the pin 85 is positioned so that it bearson the resilient leaf near the fixed end thereof, it needs to be movedonly tacts.

very slightly in the operationof the switch, so that their life is long.The system is always near dead center so that verylittle force isrequired to open and close the contacts. After the pin has pushed theleaf below the dead center position to close the contacts, and has thenbeen released, the leaf has enoughresiliency to lift the pin and snapback past dead center into its original position.

For a normally closed switch the movable contact would be mounted on thetop instead of the bottom of its supporting strip, and the platecarrying the fixed contact would be interchanged with the insulatingstop 96 and inverted so that the fixed contact would be facing downinstead of up. The fixed end of the leaf is of course connected with theother binding post. Whether the switch is of the resilient snap-actiontype, as in the form of device illustrated, or of some other type, theinvention contemplates a switch that is positively operated by a slightmovement of a member actuated bythe arrival of .a car. A second lug 98may be cast on the casing to serve as a bearing for the lever T! .whenthe rod vH3 is located to the left instead of to the right.

Although the first normally open track switch is preferably located, asin Figures III, VII and VIII, near the rear endof the weighing track togive the cars as much time as possible on the weighing track before the.Weight is recorded, it.

may be located only a little more .than a maximum car-Wheelbase from theend of the Weighing track where the cars enter, as shown inFigure IX.The location of the normally closed switch relative to the otherswitches has been explained. Whether track switches or, otherwheel-actuated means are used, it is advantageous to use a secondwheel-actuated means opposite each, for actuation by the opposite carwheel. The means operated by a single actuation of one wheel-actuatedmeans should be operated as well by a single actuation of the oppositewheel-actuated means, but after being operated by actuation of one meansshould require resetting before it can be again operated by a subsequentactuation of the other means.

Then if a piece is broken out of one car wheel so that it fails toactuate the means adjacent the track, the opposite car wheel actuatesthe opposite means; yet the means operated by actuation of the meansadjacent the track requires resetting and is not again operated when thenormal rear wheel actuates the unactuated means. The pairs ofwheel-actuated means may be pairs of opposite track switches, as in thesystem shown in Figure IX. For such a system, two normally closed trackswitches in series are connected in the circuit where a single normallyclosed switch would otherwise be connected, while two normally openswitches in parallel are connected in the circuit where a singlenormally open switch would otherwise be connected.

In the modified form of device shown in Figures IX-XI, a part of thehead of the rail is separated from the rest of the rail by a slot 99 sothat it is bent down by the weight of a car, thus pressing one of thecar-actuated members of the device such as the button 14. Of course thedevice might be mounted separate from the rail and the whole rail mightbend down enough to actuate the device without being slotted in any way:the device could be actuated by bending of anypart of the rail, whethera part of the head, ora part of they base, or a whole section of therail.

Figures X and XI show more clearly a means that may be used for verticalpositioning of the outer casing to ensure positive operation of theswitch. The bolt that secures the foot Hill at one end of the casingpasses through an open slot in the foot that allows lateral play whenthe nut on the bolt is loosened during adjustment of the casing. Theother foot 90! has a round bore into which fits a round collar H32 thathas a Wide, shallow groove 103 to receive the head of a bolt, and issolid except for an eccentric bore through which the stem of the boltpasses. When the nut is loosened and the head of the bolt is turned witha wrench, the collar N32 is also turned because the head of the nutmeshes with the shallow groove I03. By rotation of the bolt, the boredfoot I01 of the casing may be adjusted up or down. Then both nuts shouldbe tightened to lock the casing in position.

The switches and systems maybe used not only for rail vehicles but forany vehicles that can be run onto a track or channel runway.

' Changes in form may be made and various apparatus embodying thesubstance of the invention may be devised to meet various requirements.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a track havingparallel rails, a support for a section of said track, said supportbeing yieldable under the Weight of a load on said track, a meansadjacent one of the rails of the track adapted to be actuated by anormal car wheel running on said rail, a second means adjacent the otherrail of the track adapted to be alternatively or substantiallysimultaneously actuated by a normal car wheel running on said otherrail, and recording means movable into recording position by yieldingmovement of said track support under load and operated by a singleactuation of either the first or second means but requiring resetting toinitial condition before it can be again operated by a subsequentactuation of either the first said means or the said second means.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a track havingparallel rails, a support for a section of said track, said supportbeing yieldable under the weight of a load on said track, a meansadjacent oneof the rails of the track adapted to be actuated by a normalcarwheel running on said rail, a second means adjacent'the other rail ofthe track adapted to be alternatively or substantially simultaneouslyactuated by a normal carwheel' running on said other rail, recordingmeansmovable into recording position by yielding movement of said tracksupport under load and operated by a single actuation of either thefirst or second means but requiring resetting to initial conditionbefore it can be again operated by a subsequent actuation of either thefirst said means or the said second means, and means for resetting saidrecording means to initial condition, said resetting means including aunit adjacent each of the rails of the track, said units being adaptedto be alternatively or substantially simultaneously actuated by one orboth of the .carwheels on a single axle.

LAWRENCE S. WILLIAMS.

